Fire extinguisher



J. 1.. COFFIELD FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Oqt. 13. 1930 Nov. 8 1932.

2 Sheets-Sheet l J/VVENTOR JAMESL. CUFF/[M2 his ATTORNEY 1932- J. L. COFFIELD 1,887,013

: I FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Oct. 15. 1930 2 Sheets-Shet 2 38:9 Tun 3 by JAMES 1.. (OFF/10;

M I I hlls ,477'0R/VEY Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES L. corrmnn, or neuron, onro nan nxrmoursnnn Application filed October s, 19:30. serial no. 4aa,ao1.

This invention relates to fire extinguishers and more particularly to a fire extinguisher of the portable air operated type. Extinguishers of this type fall generally into two classes, first, those employing a pump to introduce air into the container and, second, those employing a cartridge or capsule of highly compressed gaseous fluid, Such as air or carbon dioxid gas, and the term air as herein used is intended to include any such gaseous fluid.

One object of the invention is to provide a fire extinguisher of this "kind with means for positively controlling the discharge of the liqinterfere with the movement of the flexible outlet tube to the lowermost point within the container. 7 3 A further object of the invention isto provide such a fire extinguisher with means for facilitating the pointing or aiming of the discharge opening in the desired direction. Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described in detail. In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a fire extinguisher embodying my invention Fig. 2.

is a longitudinal sectional view taken through such a fire extinguisher; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same;'Fig. 4-is a transverse section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2 Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 66 ofFig. 2; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the valve casing; and Fig. 8 is an edge view of the valve casing. r

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown i the same inconnection with an extinguisher of at its lower end with openings 17 to permit the air cartridge type, but it will he understood that this particularembodiment has been chosen for the-purpose of illustration only and that the mechanism may take various forms and may be applied to extinguishers of various without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In that embodimentof the invention here illustrated the fire extinguisher comprises an elongated cylindrical container 10 adapted to contain carbon tetrachloride, or other suitable fire extinguishing liquid, and having at its other end a tightly sealed closure or cylinder head 11. Air under pressure may be intro duced into the container, to discharge the liquid therefrom, in any suitable manner, but

the extinguisher'here illustrated is designed for use with a cartridge or capsule of compressed-air which is supported within the container and opened to release the air when the device is to be used. The cartridge 12 is supported within a tubular structure 13 which is carried by and depends from the closure 11. The closure is provided with an opening, in line with the tubular support, which is normally closed by a screw threaded plug 14 and a pointed plunger 15 is slidably mounted in this plug and provided on its outer end with a knob 16 by means of which it may be actuated to pierce the upper end of the cartridge and permit the escape of the air. The tubular support is arranged close to one side of the container for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. The tubular support is provided the escape of the air but is air tight above those openings. The fire extinguishing liquid is introduced into the container through this tubular support and will not rise substantially above the level of the opening 17, thus providing a space within the container above the liquid into which the compressed air mayv be discharged.

7 A discharge conduit 18 leads from a valve casing 19 within the container to the upper end of thecontainer and through the side Wall thereof, thus providing a laterally extending discharge opening, as shown at 20. The flow of liquid through this discharge conduit is controlled by a valve 21 having an 1 actuating device 22 arranged exteriorly of the container on that side thereof opposite the discharge opening 20, thus enabling the container to be held in the hand or hands of the operator, pointed in the desired direction and the valve controlled by the thumb of the hand which grasps the container. To enable the operator to determine the exact position of the discharge conduit, which is on that side of the container opposite the operator, and thus facilitate the pointing or aiming of the stream of liquid I have provided on the upper surface of the closure 11 a pointerv or rib 23 which extends diametrically across the closure from a point adjacent to the discharge opening to a point adjacent to the valve actuating device 22, thus the operator can accurately point the discharge opening inlthe desired direction before opening the va ve.

The valve casing 19 is rigidly mounted within the container, in the present instance approximately midway between the ends thereof, and is provided with two inlet ports 24% and 25 which, in the present arrangement, open into valve chambers 26-and 27 extendng lengthwise of the container and each port is provided on its outer side with a valve seat, and valves 28 and 29 are mounted in the respective valve'chambers forinward move-,

ment into engagement with the respective valve seats. The valves are preferably connected one to the other in such a manner that they Wlll move in unison, and when one valve 1s seated the other will be open and, as'here shown, they are rigidly connected one to the other by a rod 30 which extends through both.

nlet ports. Each valve chamber 26 and 27, is closed at its outer end and has a lateral opening 31 with which is connected a flexible condu t, the free ends of which extend to the opposite ends of the container. Preferably each tube extends to that end of the container opposlte the end toward which its valve chamber extends. Thus the flexible tube 32 1S connected with the valve chamber 26 and leads past the lower valve chamber 27 to what is normally the lower end of the contamer. The other flexible tube 33 is connected with the lower valve chamber 27 and extends upwardly past the valve-chamber 26 tothe upperend of the container. The flexibility of the tubes permits the free end of thattube which is lowermost to move by gravityto the lowest point in the container, so that the ressure of the air on the liquid Wlll force al of the liquid out through-the tube and the discharge conduit 18.

The valve casing 19 further comprises an elongated tubular guideway- 34, which en tends lengthwise of the container, and a transverse passageway 35 connected. at one end with the guideway 34 andv at its other end having communication with both inlet ports, the outlet-conduit 18 being inthe present instance connected with this transverse passageway. Pivotally mounted within the casing, and preferably within the transverse passageway 35, is a lever 36 the axis or fulcrum point of which is arranged near one end thereof, as shown at 37. The shorter end of this lever is operatively connected with the valve rod 30, as by means of a pin 38 extending into a groove in the enlarged intermediate portion of the rod. The opposite and longer end of the lever extends into the guideway 34. Mounted within the guideway on opposite sides of the lever 36 are weights 39 and 49 which are preferably spherical in form and which act upon the oppositely disposed surfaces of the lever to actuate the same and thereby control the positions of the valves. The length of the guideway with relation to the diameter of the weights is such that the lowermost weight will be spaced a substantial distance from the lower contact surface of the lever and consequently when the container is tilted and the lower weight elevated that weight will have sutlicient movement within the guideway before it en ga es the lever to acquire a momentum which wi 1 cause it to contact with the lever with considerable force, thereby actuating the lever to quickly shift the valves and to re lease the valves in case they should not move freely. This arrangement of the valve oper ating device whereby the gravity operated means contacts with and has movement with relation to the oppositely disposed contact surfaces of the lever not only operates quickly and with relatively great power but it is very sensitive and will operate to actuate the valves when the container is tilted but slight ly from its horizontal position. That weight which is above the lever will operate constantly to hold the lower ,valve closed and the upper valve open. When the air is admitted to the container it acts on the upper surface of the liquid to force the latter through the lowermost flexible tube to the upper inlet port and thence out through'thc outlet conduit. The air in the upper part of the container enters the upper flexible tube and the valve chamber with which that tube is com -cted and acts upon the outer surface of the valve to hold the latter firmly on its seat. This latter function is particularly valuable in an extinguisher employing the air cartridge because when the cartridge is opened the air enters the container and acts upon the valve with sudden and relatively great pressure which, with many valve arrangements heretofore used, has a tendency to open the valve and permit the escape of air. Further,

shouldthe e-ointainer be held in a substantially horiemital pesition the air acting on the clips-ed valve will hold the latter on its seat until the container has been tilted s ufliciently to cause the gravity operated meansto func tion and shift the valve. Consequently under no condition ,of operation can theair escape vin advance'ofgthe liquid. It will further be noted that the character and arrangement of the gravity'operated valve controlling-means are such that these means will operate with equal facility'in any position in which the container maybe held with relation to its longitudinal axis, that is,'the weights will move with the'same freedom when the valve casing 1s flat on its side as when it 18 ill a vertical position.

The cartridge supportingstructure 18 is arranged close to theside wall of the containeradjacent to the valve 21 at what is normally the upper end of the container. It

is seldom that in the. operation of the ex- 1 tinguisher it is moved to a position'in which that part thereof is the lowermost part but fiected about the same, thus.

move to the lowermost point in the container. The construction and arrangement of the carshould itbe moved to such a position the free end of the adjacent flexible tube, or the guard 41 on the end of that tube, will engage the" curvedwall of the structure'and be de rmitting it to tridge supporting structure is such that the end of the tube cannotdiang upon. that strum ture.

'fave 'shown and described one eml'Vhile I bodiment of, my invention I vwish it to be understood that I do-not desire to be limited to the detailsthereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art. Having now fully described my invention,

' what I claim as new and'desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a portable fire extinguisher, a container for fire extinguishing liquid,.means for introducing air under pressure into said container to discharge said liquid therefrom,

a valve. casingmounted in said container and- ,having inlet ports near the respective ends thereof, a flexible conduit "connected witheach of said inlet ports' and extending-past the other inlet port toward the opposite end of said container, each inlet port having an outwardly facing valve seat,valves mounted on the outer sides of the respective valve seats for movement into engagement therewith, a lever pivotally mounted in said. casing on an axis near one end thereof, means operatively connecting the shorter end of said lever with both of said valves, gravity operated means-mounted for free movement into and out of engagement withsaid lever and acting on the longer end of said lever to actuatesaid valves, and an outlet conduit leading from said casing to the exteri or of 7 said container.

7 container to discharge saidliquidtherefrom,

. In a portable fire extinguisher, a contamer for fire extinguishing liquid, means for introduclng air under pressure into said a valve casing mounted in said container and having inlet ports near, the respective ends thereof, a flexible conduit connected with each of said inlet ports and extending past the other inlet port toward the opposite end of said container, each inlet port having an conduit leading from said casing to the ex- 7 terior of said container. I v

3. In a portable fire extinguisher, an elongated container for fire extinguishing liquid, means, for introducing air under pressure into said container to discharge the liquid therefrom, a valve casing mounted in said container and having opposed inlet ports,

valves for the respectiveports so connected one to the other that when one port is closed the other port will be open, said valve casing having a guideway extending lengthwise of said container and a transverse'passageway opening into said guideway, a lever mounted in said casing on an axis between the ends thereof, having one end operatively connected with said valves and having its other end extending'into said guideway, that end of said lever which extends into said guideway gravity operated means mounted in said 'guidcway for free movement into engage ment with one of said contact surfaces and out of engagement with the other contact surface when said container is tilted, the downwardly disposed contact surface being spaced from said gravity operated means when either end of said container is uppermost, and

an outlet'conduit leading from said valve casingdzo the exterior of saidcontainer.

4. Ina portable fire extinguisher an elongated container for fire extinguishing liquid, means for introducing air under pressure into said container to discharge the liquid therefrom, a valve casing'mounted in said container and having opposed inlet ports, valves for the respective ports so connected one to the other that when one port is closed the other port will be open. said valve casing having a guide'wav extending lengthwise of saidcontainer and a transverse passageway opening into said guideway, a lever mounted. in said casing on an axis between the ends ,thereof, having one end operatively having oppositely disposed contact surfaces,

c01 111ek :tcdwith said valves and having its"- other end extending into-said guideway, weights mounted in said guideway on oppo )site sides of said lever for free movement lengthwise of said guideway, said guideway being of such length that the weight which is lowermost will be spaced from said lever, and an outlet conduit leading from said valve casing to the exterior of said container. 5. In a fire extinguisher, acontainer for fire extinguishing liquid, a valve casing mounted in said container and having inlet ports, valves for said ports, gravity operated means to operate said valves in accordance with the positon ofsaid container, flexible tubes connected with the respective inlet ports and each extending to a point near one end of said container, an outlet conduit lead ing from said valve casing to the exterior of said casing, a support for an air capsule mounted in said container near one end thereof and close to one side thereof and having its. inner surface so shaped that it will deflect the end portion of the adjacent flexible tube when the latter moves toward said side of said container, and means for opening said cartridge.

6. In a fire extinguisher, a container for fire extinguishing liquid, a valve housing, means for conducting the liquid from the opposite ends of said container to said valve housing, valves for controlling the direction of flow of liquid through said valve housing,

i a lever connected with said valves, gravity means mounted for free moveinent with relation to said lever and arranged to operate said lever and valves when said container is tilted, means for conducting the liquid from said valve housing to the outside of said container, and means for creating pressure in said container for expelling the liquid.

7. In a portable fire extinguisher, a container for fire extinguishing liquid, a casing mounted within said container and having inlet ports each of which valve seat, valves mounted for movement into engagement with the respective valve hereto.

I JAMES L. COFFIELD is provided with a seats, said valves being connected one to the 7 other and so arranged that when one port is closed the other port will be open, a lever pivotally mounted on said casing and opera- I tively connected with said valves, arranged adjacent to said lever, operated element mounted for movement on saidguide into and out of engagement with said lever to cause said lever to actuate said valves, an outlet conduit leading from said casing to the exterior of said container, and means for introducing air under pressure to a guide said container.

8. In a portable fire extinguisher, a container for fire extinguishing liquid, means for introducing air under pressure into said container to discharge said liquid therefrom, a valve casing mounted in said container and having inlet ports, conduits connected with said inlet ports and extending toward the re a gravity spective ends of said container, each inlet port having a valve seat, valves mounted for 

